Failing a Test
by stillplayingpretend
Summary: A Drabble for the Houses Competition Round 1. Hermione finds herself confronted with her greatest fear - failing, and failing divination at that! Mostly lighthearted, takes place during third year.


A/N: This is for The Houses Competition. Team: Badger Class: Potions Category: Drabble Prompt: Failing a Test Word Count: 998

"A T!" Shrieked Hermione. "I DON'T GET T'S ON ASSIGNMENTS! THERE HAS TO BE SOME MISTAKE!"

"My dear," said Professor Trelawney, peering hauntingly through her over-large glasses. "I feared that this may indeed come to pass. The inner-eye does not often lie, though I may see the unseen; I must say I took no pleasure in watching this come to be."

"What do you mean, '_watching this come to be_' Professor?" Snapped Hermione. "You graded it!"

"I meant, my dear, that I could sense you do not have the necessary ability to open your mind to the other world," replied Trelawney, her hazy voice sharpening slightly.

"It's tea leaves! How could I have gotten staring at herbs wrong!"

Harry leaned over and muttered quietly into her bushy hair. "Hermione, let it go. She's not worth it."

Hermione sat back roughly in her chair, fuming over the injustice of it all as she choked in the heavily perfumed air of the divination classroom. Hermione Granger did not fail assignments. Ever. She had promptly and precisely written down all the shapes she had seen in her cup immediately after she had drunk her tea, just like the textbook said. She had actually thought that the assignment had gone rather _well_. Even Ron had scored higher than her, and he had just made up some nonsense about being trampled by a hippogriff while attempting to run for Minister for Magic!

She couldn't believe she was bending the rules of time for this.

Still ruminating on the injustice of it all, Hermione stormed off through the trap door and out of the classroom, her two best-friends following in her wake.

" 'Mione, it's not a big deal, I fail assignments all the time," said Ron with a roll of his eyes.

"It's different, Ron!" snarled Hermione. "You refuse to apply yourself. _She's_ a right old fraud who's punishing me for not buying into her rubbish!"

"Just keep predicting your death like I do," suggested Harry.

"I shouldn't have to lie to succeed in a class! She's completely mad!"

Ron snorted. "Well, we all know that. You coming?"

"No, I'll catch up with you. I want to go talk to Professor Trelawney."

"She's not going to change her mind after you made a scene in her class," Harry warned.

"I know, I just…need to try." Harry and Ron shrugged and continued on toward Transfiguration.

Hermione waited until they were just out of sight and then dashed back down the corridor. She could feel the weight of the Time-Turner bouncing against her chest as she ran, pausing abruptly to skid into an empty classroom. Hermione Granger did not fail, and she certainly did not fail assignments assigned by hairbrained charlatans!

She just needed one more chance… she'd been exhausted when she'd done that assignment. She didn't need to _lie_, exactly, not like Ron. But now that she had a better idea of what Professor Trelawney is looking for, she could tailor her responses so they were more to Trelawney's liking. She just had to go back in time and do the assignment again, grab the Hermione of that time and explain- no. That would mean breaking one of the greatest rules of time travel: never be seen by or interact with your past self. Maybe she could write the past Hermione a note and warn her? She just needed to go back a couple hours, to right before she turned it in. Hermione took out the golden Time-Turner and gently turned it back three hours.

Abruptly, Hermione felt a tug around her navel, as if some great fishhook had taken hold of her, and then the world was spinning by. Hermione was being thrown through space. She was flying, flying, hurtling through the air until –

Hermione landed with a thunk on the floor of the Headmaster's office.

"Good afternoon, Miss. Granger."

Hermione looked up to see Dumbledore peering at her from behind his half-moon glasses. She stared at him for a second, looked down at her disheveled state, then slowly stood up, smoothed her robes out, and sat down in the chair across from his desk.

"Good afternoon, Professor Dumbledore."

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair and leveled her with his piercing blue eyes. "Miss Granger, I believe when we discussed your use of the Time-Turner this year, we were clear that it was to only be used to attend extra classes."

Hermione flushed. "Yes, Professor."

"And yet, I find you here in my office, having been brought here by the portkey that could only have been activated by an act of academic dishonesty."

Hermione hung her head. "I'm sorry, Professor. It's just- Professor Trelawney."

"Ah," replied Dumbledore. "I see you have come to appreciate the noble art of divination. I must say, when I turned your Time-Turner into a portkey, I was hoping that you would pass my test and only use it for its expressed purpose."

"I just got so frustrated Professor." Hermione took a deep breath and was horrified to realise there were tears in her eyes. "I didn't mean to cheat, I just – I just – I don't know. I couldn't take any more of it."

"I suppose in this instance, we could look at this as a warning," Dumbledore said kindly. "Provided of course, that there will be no further attempts at changing the past?"

"Yes!" Hermione said hurriedly. "Yes Professor, thank you, yes. I'm so sorry."

Dumbledore nodded. "Then I think it would be best if you continue on with your day, unless there is anything else?"

"No," Hermione said, rising from her seat. "Thank you, Professor." She turned to continue out of the classroom.

"Miss Granger?"

Hermione turned and met Dumbledore's twinkling eyes.

"Divination was never my subject."

Hermione smiled, suddenly feeling much, much better. Maybe Ron was right. Maybe failing an assignment wasn't the end of the world, or even failing a test.


End file.
